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Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Last August, we reported on a new Neil Young album "Dreamin' Man" scheduled for release today, November 3. This would mark Neil's 17th CD release of the year, which includes the 10 disc Archives set, Fork in the Road, the Booker T. collaboration "Potato Hole" and reissues of Neil Young, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After the Goldrush and Harvest .

That Neil. Such a slacker.

Now comes word that DREAMIN' MAN, Neil Young Archives Performance Series #12, will be released on or about December 8, roughly 17 years after the original release of Harvest Moon.

A closer look at Harvest Moon songs, all performed solo acoustic before the release of Harvest Moon, DREAMIN' MAN contains intimate live performances recorded in concert halls during 1992.

Neil Young's 1992 "Harvest Moon" was the followup to his most commercially successful album "Harvest" - some 20 years later.

"Harvest Moon" was recorded with many of the same original musicians who appeared on "Harvest", such as Ben Keith, on pedal steel guitar, and Linda Rondstadt and James Taylor on backing vocals. The intentional sequel nature of "Harvest Moon" created high expectations which for the most part were fulfilled. The album was even accompanied with music videos and extensive interviews with the normally reticent Young himself.

But on a Canadian radio interview, Young denied that 'Harvest Moon' was a sequel to 'Harvest':

"The whole idea of following up the 'Harvest' album is something that's contrived more from the standpoint of record companies, and mostly questions.

You know, people see the correlation between the two, and it's kind of a plus to be able to refer back 20 years and see the same people and do that. But the thrust of the albums is different, even though the subject matter is similar, so I tend to shy away more from comparisons between them - they're reference points for one another.

I mean, people who have never heard of 'Harvest' may really like Harvest Moon and may end up referring back to 'Harvest' because of all this conversation about how the two of them go together..."

Naturally, there's much speculation over on rust about what all of this might mean? Afterall, NY PS#12?!? So what happened to everything in between?

Could this possibly mean that the next NYA volume will be #4 or #5??? That would be quite the Shakey move to not to followup Vol#1 with #2.

I really hope we get Archives Volume 2 (including TFA) before 3,4 or 5 ... The 70s were a magical period for Neil ... in the interim, I picked up a vinyl copy of TFA a few weeks ago on ebay and played it the other day for the first time ... my kids didn't know what to make of a record or record player, they tought it was a big CD ... but within minutes my 6 year old daughter was taken by 'Don't Be Denied' and was running around the house singing. "Don't be denied ,Don't be denied" over and over again ...

Too bad that the 17 CDs contained only one CD worth of new music and that said CD was Forkin' terrible. After all these re-issues, the question is: Does Neil still have another great album in him? I think he does, but we'll have to see.

i bet the delay has everything to do with the record company and nothing to do with Neil and Co ... this is standard fare in the record industry ... i hope they're going to release this on Blue Ray though

There will be no DVD or Blu-ray versions of "Dreamin' Man.This release is CD, vinyl and iTunes only.

Recorded during our "We Like To Record Digitally" phase, there is no analog master for this record, therefore no Hi Rez transfer for BD or DVD.

For those of you thinking ahead (or back as the case may be) about NYA Vol2...production is in full swing and the content is AWESOME. The sheer volume of unreleased songs in Vol2 is staggering and a joy to listen to.

For those of you who grouse whenever a BD-Live download isn't some rare unknown track that completists don't even have, remember that the Archives and the Timeline tell a story. The new stuff that you get helps to tell that story and is made a bit more personal and in depth by Neil's writings in the Post-Informer.

I'm pretty darn sure that the next download will be something unique that noneof you have.

As a footnote, to Anon re "have the right to criticize in whichever way i deem appropriate".

That is NOT true. Your rights are limited per comments policy.

AG is here to provide info and this is not your personal complaint forum platform to air your perceived "injustices" over & over. Face it, like AG says, NYA isn't for the 4% Club who will never be happy until gives them exactly what they want.

I would call the most recent BD-Live download "expected". Nothing earth-shattering, but it fills in a gap, and I would hope that over time, nearly all of the major gaps in the Archives would end up being filled by BD_Live. A little BS Box Set here, perhaps a missing album song later on once the re-issue sales have a flagged a bit. That sort of thing.

It's exciting to hear that the December download should exceed my "expectations". Merry Christmas!

The unreleased 1995 HDCD remaster of Time Fades Away has been in wide trading circulation for many years now. You should be able to get a copy for free from any number of sources on the internet, some may even include scans of the official artwork.

Don't pay for bootlegs. Ever. Neil fans are very generous when it comes to sharing the music, especially when Neil refuses to sell it to us. ;-)

Archives Guy,Vol. 1 was a treasure trove and I have been nothing but pleased with the updates. As a journalist and someone who didn't "find" Neil until 1993, appreciate the story. Please don't skimp on the narrative. And thanks to everyone who has attended my Neil Young plays with St. Francis classes in Portland, OR.

My main gripe is that Neil, given the immense cost, could have been a bit more forthcoming with actual unreleased material in Vol 1.

I don't buy the argument, uttered by some, that he doesn't have much actual unreleased stuff from that period. I believe he does, and I wish he'd release it.

BluRay is cool, sounds great....but i hardly ever listen to it. I played it for the first time today in about 6 weeks, and only after learning that there was a new BluRay Live release (which, ugh, i already had when i bought the Springfield box in 2001).

Like i said, the BluRay stuff is cool, sound is superb, but it's not very efficient or practical for my day-to-day needs.

The Consumers music-listening needs have changed from Neil's 1970s heyday!

December 8th isn't too far away. Being the same group who waited for Archives 1, I think we can stick it out.

Re: And yet another underwhelming Bluray live Release.

I'm actually starting to get annoyed. One can debate the merits of The Rent is Always Due (I first heard it on Archives 1 and thought it was one of the strongest of the Early Years tracks) all one wants, but please, do it in the appropriate place. I thought this discussion was about Dreamin' Man.

Come to that, can't we get through a single thread without the BD Live controversy cropping up? While this has its time and place to be discussed, It really is irritating to see people complaining about it (to put this politely) no matter what we're supposed to be talking about. And yes, I realize there is some leeway here and people shouldn't be forced to stick strictly to the topic. Conversation would be less interesting if it didn't develop, evolve, and shoot off in various directions. But barging in and saying something completely off topic *and* in an immediately unfriendly manner (as the quote above) isn't going to please anyone. Maintain at least a semblence of civility and reasonably good nature. If you can't make your point without undue aggression, I don't want to hear it. As for my stance on the BD live downloads, here it is:

Firstly, I am a DVD-only Archives owner so admittedly I can only view this from somewhat of an outside perspective. However, as a participating member of this online community, fan of Neil Young and his work, someone who plans to upgrade to blu-ray by the time of Archives 2, I feel entitled to speak my mind on this issue. I calculated a while back on another thread and I think it came out to almost a download a month at that point in time. These things do take time to prepare. Would you rather a quality product or have Neil rush things out because you want it NOW like Veruca Salt? Also, I personally would be pleased to have a legit copy of any Neil Young rarity in my collection. That's the whole point of a collection, isn't it? You collect everything you can?

I won't say I'm sorry that people aren't always 100% satisfied because it's there's no reason I personally should but I get no joy out of seeing people disappointed. It's like Archives Guy said--one way to avoid is this is to keep your expectations as much in check as possible from the start. Even Neil Young doesn't turn out some revelatory masterpiece, or whatever superlative you care to apply, every time. Not everything will be groundbreaking-- sometimes it is just an intimate little home demo, a rather sloppy rehearsal take, or an alternate mix of a well-known track. We can all decide for ourselves, of course,how valuable and entertaining each of these are. We can also choose what to listen to and not listen to and whether or not we want a specific download. There's no gun to anyone's head to even buy the next album Neil puts out. Our Mr. Shakey is all about independent thought. The last thing I imagine he'd want would be for everyone to be sheep and give up their minds to follow the masses, or even him.

To BD or not to BD. That is question. And we must all answer it for ourselves.

Unlike the cover art image in the OP above, the image on Amazon.com says, "Neil Young Dreamin' Man Live '92".

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51vaBkmSjvL._SS500_.jpg

Is it possible that this artwork change is partially responsible for the release delay? Was this done in order to clarify that this is a live album from the NYA Performance Series and not an album of new material?

Well, considering NYAPS (Neil Young Archives Performance Series) has been clearly printed on all of the archival live releases so far, I don't see where there would be confusion. The previous Archives PS releases have also had they years of the original recordings printed on them. It's probably for documentation of chronology. I have no way of knowing for certain, however, not being privy to the behind-the-scenes goings on of these items and it's certainly possible that if the cover artwork was belatedly altered to reflect this and had to be reprinted, this might cause a brief delay.

I’ll bet there is a ton of unreleased stuff that could have been on Archives Vol. 1…like alternate takes of pretty much every song he recorded during that time. It makes sense to me why that wasn’t included (unless the take was radically different). I’m satisfied with how Vol. 1 turned out.

Archives Guy…I have no clue who you are but it’s fun having an “insider” throw some bones; thanks for doing that. With the vast amount of unreleased stuff in the 70s is there a chance that Archives Vol. 2 will represent a shorter time frame, but similar in amount of material, to be able to include all that Neil wants to put in there? After all, I don’t think he’s hitched to 10 year intervals with this.

With all of the people out there clamoring for Time Fades Away to be released on CD/Blu-Ray/DVD…doesn’t it seem logical that the material would/could wind up in Archives Vol. 2? Seems probable to me considering where Vol. 1 left off.

Lastly, for now, Neil does not need to be forthcoming about any future releases. I think we’re lucky that these Archive collections are even being put together and in such a unique fashion. I love Dylan’s Bootleg Series and the way it is being released every few years. My only concern is that Neil is saddling himself into a routine

Thanks for showing up and answering some of our questions ... Given all the times Neil zigs when you think he'll zag I learned a long time ago to not have ANY expectations and it seems to work out really well ... I sit in the back seat, leave the driving to him, and always enjoy the ride ... I know that philosophy won't sit well with some folks but it is what it is. My question is, how long were you guys in the "We Like To Record Digitally" phase, and during what time period?

for Neil: I just watched CSNY Deja vu movie and it got to me in the way that I think you wanted to. It made think and anaylize. I got the bigger picture, listened both sides and transcribed it to everyday life. It's all about dialogue, listening, comparing, "just talk more talk". The difference between Bush and Obama is that Obama is more articulate, but without help of his fellow citizens he is as helpless as the next guy. Be objective to him, don't criticise him for good things, don't be kind to his mistakes. Cheers from Europe!

Thanks for the info Archives Guy (if you're still reading this thread)! I, for one, am really enjoying the Blu-Ray archives experience. I've been traveling a lot, and the mp3 versions I'm forced to listen to on the plane or in the hotel don't hold a candle. I don't mind taking the time to put on the blu-ray when I'm home and enjoy the high-res sound. It makes the music that much more special, IMO. Love the visuals, too.

RE the BD-live downloads: is there a reason that every track (excepting "I Wonder") is listed as Vol 1, #2 (July 24, 2009)? I assume it's either a technical flub or oversight...

I'm happy for any Neil whenever I can get it. Thanks to Archives Guy for keeping us posted and our appetites whetted. I figure by the time V2 arrives I'll have been able to invest in a Blu-Ray setup as well as V1 and all will be revealed.

Eternal thanks also to Thrasher for keeping everything in perspective. 24 and there's so much more.

Here we go again! The same people who are complaining about the 'Dreamin' Man' delay will also be the ones who complain when they have to 'pay for it twice' when it appears on 'Archives Vol. #4'... Mark my word!

Where is the Horse? This is my main question, too. Archives guy, do you have any information about a return of Crazy Horse?While Neils current band is just find, Crazy Horse is just a different thing. And I miss them, too.

Archives Guy - I would just like to say I have followed your commentary and input and assitance from weeks before the release of NYA1 and valued it enormously - please continue to crop up here when you can. I love the blu ray format constantly play NYA1 and love the updates even if they are not the lost ark that some are looking for.

I am very very excited about your news with regards NYA2 and may I ask when you say in production (it may be that the term in the UK is used differently) does that mean ready to press and be put up for pre-order or merely working on it?

I do hope this will be a 2010 release - can you give us any clue on that at all?

On the "Dreamin Man " - Harvest Moon live CD from the '92 tour.....Neil played like 75-80 minutes on those shows and almost everyone left disapointed.... not because of the new material at the time, but everyone was waiting for the rest of the show ! It was my most disapointing Neil show of over 100 shows I have seen. Everyone was grumbling afterwards, feeling shortchanged. Who wait months for the show and then expects Neil to play 75 minutes ? Noone. Most fans felt ripped off and taken advantage of.It was realy a shitty thing Neil did walking off after 75 minutes. Therefore, not buying this one.

Archives Guy, you're wrong saying that The Archives are not stricly for die hard fans - yes, they are! Casual fans and newbies will go for Decade or Greatest Hits, they won't spend couple of hundreds on such collection like Archives.

So, in future releases, cut the well known and released stuff and give us as much new and unreleased stuff as possible because we, the die hards, deserve it! We are the ones who spent tousands already on all released stuff, tshirts, concert tickets etc. Don't abuse our devotion to Neil!

Archives Guy - one other question - I am sure you can give us a hint on this if not necessairly a release date - will the box cover another 9-10 year span - I am hoping it will go from TFA (in its entirety of course!) up to and including Reactor - any hints?? Of course, I can wait for the Trans years on - but hoping i'm on the mark on these dates.Also how about a small treat for those that invested in the blu ray technology for NYA1 - neil could do a bd-download with a few words, clips and snippets of whats in box 2 and how far along development is - if that doesnt get the non-blu ray crowd buying new machines in anticipation I dont know what will?

PS Thrasher is there a way to have one area with all utd commentary from members re: Archives - I regularly come in and search but unless I catch it on the tail end of a post like this (dreamin man) im struggling to find the most recent archive related comments.

The problem with folks like you (and the ones who insult AG and Neil) is that you have an unbeleiveable sense of entitlement -- Remember NEIl doesn't owe you anything, AG doesn't owe you anything, Thrasher doesn't owe you anything ... but, you can have the priveledge of enjoying Neil's music or concerts if you choose to pay the cost, enjoy this site if you choose to behave civily and enjoy the bones that AG is nice enough to throw us if you don't offend him ... but none of this is coming to you and nobody is required to make it exactly the way you want it ... but realize that sense of selfishness and lack of appreciation is a buzz kill for others ... AG simply reminded someone who thought they have entitlements that they're way off kilter ... don't jeopardize this dialog for the rest of us.

Thanks for the info on Dreamin' Man and NYAS vol.2 AG.Would you be willing to tell us the years Archives vol.2 will be covering?What year might it be coming out?Will The Trunk Show be offered on Blu-ray?Just wonderin'.Thanks.

Glad you shows were a little longer. I saw 3 shows and all were 75-80 minutes. The first night I thought maybe he was sick or not feeling well..... but 3 shows at 75-80 minutes ? That's just not right to do to his fans paying good $ to see him.He obviously knows how long his shows are and to me it just showed a complete disregard for his fans.I never left a Neil show and saw so many pissed off people like those nights.

Maybe I'm missing something, but where does one access these Post-Informer newspapers? Is there something more than just the text that accompanies each download? (Not finding anything on the Archives Web site.)

We get your point you werent happy with 75-80 min sets from 92'... Geez it was twenty years ago, build a bridge and get over it .

Be interesting to see when the TTN live at Rainbow comes out . It was new music mainly, short sets and unliked by many people who attended at the time from what I have heard.However, for many of us on this site, it expect it also one one of the most anticipated potential releases.

I didnt see the 92 tour - he has only been to australia 4 times in total. However, I thought Harvest Moon was just a bit too clean and studio polished . I think the raw acoustic versions will be great.

Dear Anonymous 6:12 p.m. - I do indeed have the Blu-Ray Archives, and mentioned in my previous post that I've seen the text included with each of the downloads. I was asking about the complete newspapers that they're excerpted from, which AG referred to; for example, there's been only one "article" (with the first "I Wonder" download) from the Vol1 #1 edition, and while I realize that newspapers have been shrinking (I work for one), they still tend to contain more than a single story.

Can't believe some people are complaining about the BD Live downloads - Jeez this is an OPEN ENDED source of Neil material - how can you possible know it's disappointing when the next one might be something awesome?

"BluRay is cool, sounds great....but i hardly ever listen to it. I played it for the first time today in about 6 weeks, and only after learning that there was a new BluRay Live release (which, ugh, i already had when i bought the Springfield box in 2001).

Like i said, the BluRay stuff is cool, sound is superb, but it's not very efficient or practical for my day-to-day needs.

The Consumers music-listening needs have changed from Neil's 1970s heyday!"

There are no needs, only wants. However, if you want the BluRay material converted to a format that meets your efficient, practical, day to day wants, it can be done. The question is, do you have the energy to do it, or would you rather complain and complain until someone else does it for you?

Neil Young has made his feelings known on sound quality time and time again, and has also repeatedly said that he thinks BluRay is the ideal currently available format for this set. Despite that, there's also a CD version of it and those goddam MP3s, and the option of buying BluRays individually if you don't want the whole set.

He's put these Archives out on a format and in a manner that puts him far out ahead of other musicians: there is no other set like the Archives either in terms of the technology it's making use of or the breadth it's attempting to achieve. That's tough for the kids who want to listen to it while they're rollerskating, but it doesn't make him stuck in the 70s, it puts him in the forefront of what's going on with audio and video technology. And he's taking a risk doing it.

As to the content of the latest download: you have it already, ugh! How could they not have known this!

Well, great, but I've got all the Neil Young albums on CD, barring Lucky Thirteen which I've got on MD somewhere. I've got many of the same albums on new vinyl, and most of the NY albums on 2nd hand vinyl, and Time Fades Away. I've got the Buffalo Springfield albums on CD, and several of them on vinyl as well. Plus quite a bit of CSNY. And concert videos of NY on DVD and laserdisc. I am not a completist. Still, barring compilations like Decade, there's well over 40 different albums in there, as well as all the video.

Did I have the latest, ugh, BD live download? No, they managed to find a gap in my collection, as I don't own the Buffalo Springfield box. So I'll take that free download without complaint, but even if I had it, what would there be to bitch about?

I don't understand the complains about the Dreamin' Man release and the downloads.Dreamin' Man is an important release. I remember a Beacon Theater tape and the new Harvest Moon songs were really the core of the show.Neil was proud to present the new songs, 2 years after Ragged Glory.Notwhistanding the initial disappointments, HM was a huge success. Downloads...What is all this whining and complaining about? In 2-3 years we can judge the meaning of this operation. I'm O.K with the BD. It's just an integration of the Archives release.I Wonder completes the Squires recordings, there's a new mix, CG completes the electric FE recordings, Mr.Soul is a rare live BS track, The Rent is always due is a great improvement over the Elektra Tape track. Furthermore it has the great quality sound of BR and the BS set now is not available anymore. Thanks Again.Andrea.